Christmas, next year
by Akino K
Summary: In Japan, Christmas is the day of lovers. Singles go to parties, couples are dating… But what about a couple that just cannot admit that they are in love? AkiGure, spoiler for chapter 97


**Author**: Akito no K-chan

**Title**: Christmas, next year

**Summary**: In Japan, Christmas is the day of lovers. Singles go to parties, couples are dating… But what about a couple that just cannot admit that they are in love?

**Pairings**: ShigureAkito

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does.

**Note**: I wrote this on December 22nd and since I still can stand to read it two days later – which of course isn't a good sign, either – I thought I might upload it here. Please tell me what you think.

Shigure really scares me, by the way. I hope one can see this when reading his last lines. Really, he's crazy… But I like him, nonetheless, which makes me feel even more scared.

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– Christmas, next year – 

Christmas was coming, once again. The day of lovers…

Well, actually it was already there, Shigure had to admit, looking out of the open window of his room. It was quite a cold year and already snow was falling from a sky that was filled with heavy dark grey clouds. Shigure drew his kimono closer around himself and watched as the layer of white became thicker with every passing minute.

Today was the 24th of December – but he didn't feel particularly joyful. Not wanting to dwell on the strange feeling, he had started staring outside about four o'clock in the morning. It was five now.

The clouds were getting less and here and there one could already see a star shining through. Slowly, Shigure stood up from the hard floor he had been sitting on and closed the window. There really was no time for him to get into a mood; he had to get his newest manuscript finished.

Stepping out of his room, he wondered if anyone else was awake at his time already, and if they were, might there be someone who had just watched the nightly sky, the same stars, as him…? He chuckled, shaking his head at his own stupid thoughts. Really, when had he gotten that romantic? Snow and stars didn't make a good mix for him.

He poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. It was almost painfully cold.

"Shigure-san-?" He looked up at the stairs, from where Toru was coming down to him.

"Why, good morning, Toru-kun. Coming to get a drink, too?" She nodded and he poured her a glass, paying more attention to the temperature this time. "There. I thought you were asleep. But I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. I was just watching the snow falling, and before going back to sleep, I thought, I might get something to drink."

Shigure smiled at her. "Same here. It's gonna be a beautiful Christmas, don't you agree?"

"I think so", she murmured. "Merry Christmas, Shigure-san", she added as an afterthought.

"Right. The some goes for you. But now, I believe, you should be getting back to sleep, huh?" She nodded and together they made their way upstairs and to their rooms.

As he entered his room, the view out of the window transfixed him at once. The snow-cover was complete now, the sky clear of any clouds, stars shining brightly. Wouldn't it be great to spend such a day with a beloved person? _The_ beloved person of your life?

Sighing, he sat down again, on his chair this time, though, and stared at the monitor in front of him, where a file with the work of yesterday evening was opened.

"He looked up at a beautiful night-sky, stars shining down on the snow. He hugged himself, wishing to watch it, for once at least, with his little girl", he read, wincing involuntarily. What a crap had he been producing yesterday? "Note: thinking of loved one", he found in his notes of the current chapter and shuddered, shaking his head in exasperation. He deleted half of the text; what had been wrong with him?

Several times, Shigure tried to find a continuation, but somehow he couldn't do it, so in the end he closed the file and stared at his desktop, deciding to just stop thinking for some time. There always was the chance of some idea just coming from nowhere, after all.

Still there was something else, though, that just didn't stop flooding his mind, the image of two people walking down a street in Tokyo. His heart fluttered and his stomach knotted in excitement.

"But it won't take long anymore", he thought, trying to convince himself, "The bond is so weak already; one more year and then I can-" Yes, next year he would surely be able to do it, by then the bond just had to be broken fully. And then he would have her all for his own, he could possess her and they would walk down the streets of Tokyo on Christmas, hand in hand.

He turned around, towards the window and sighed.

Little did he know how much his thoughts resembled those of one certain god, who right at this moment hung out of the window of her room, watching the stars shine brightly from above.


End file.
